Xbox One won’t require Kinect to function
"The console will still function if Kinect isn't plugged in."
Xbox One will not require Kinect to function, Xbox LIVE general manager Marc Whitten has said.
“Like online, the console will still function if Kinect isn’t plugged in, although you won’t be able to use any feature or experience that explicitly uses the sensor,” Whitten told IGN.
When Kinect is plugged in, he continued, “you have the ability to completely turn the sensor off in your settings. When in this mode, the sensor is not collecting any information. Any functionality that relies on voice, video, gesture or more won’t work. We still support using it for IR blasting in this mode.
“You can turn the sensor back on at any time through settings, and if you enter into a required Kinect experience (like Kinect Sports Rivals for instance), you’ll get a message asking if you want to turn the sensor back on in order to continue.”
The news is contrary to Microsoft’s stance in May, where the company said “Kinect does require to be connected to Xbox One in all cases.”
Kinect will come bundled with every Xbox One when it launches this November.
Thanks, NeoGAF.